Scale

These do look like scale insects, which suck the nutrients out of the leaves and branches and if untreated, can seriously damage a plant. And they love citrus. If you scrape with your fingernail and it pops off, it’s scale. Underneath each hard, brown shield is a sucking insect. If there are only a few, wipe them off with a Qtip dipped in rubbing alcohol. Sprays cannot penetrate the shell, but mature insects cannot reattach. The immature ones are hard to see, but they are vulnerable to spraying. Test a mix of one part mineral oil, one part soap, and eight parts water on a single leaf, to make sure it doesn’t damage the foliage. After 48 hours without signs of damage, go ahead…and if you see signs of burn, reduce the solution and retest.

By | 2016-03-28T19:40:36-07:00 March 28th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments

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